LOC09:42
06:42 GMT
TOKYO, Feb 23 (KUNA) -- South Korea confirmed two additional deaths from the new coronavirus and 123 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 556, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The number of COVID-19 infections more than doubled in a single day on Saturday, with most cases centered around a religious organization in the country's fourth-largest city of Daegu and a neighboring hospital, the report said.
Of the 123 new cases, 75 are related to worship services of the Shincheonji church in the city of Daegu, about 300 km southeast of Seoul.
آ The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has placed more than 9,000 Shincheonji members in self-quarantine.
South Korea confirmed its first new coronavirus case from a Chinese woman from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak on Jan. 20. The country's 31st patient, a probable "super spreader," had attended the church's worship services in Daegu.
آ Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, in a rare public message on Saturday night, reassured people that the virus can be contained if the public cooperates with the government's instructions.
Chung called the fast spread of the new coronavirus in the country a "grave" situation and urged people to refrain from attending mass gatherings. Chung also sternly warned against any acts that interfere with the government's quarantine efforts and spark public uneasiness, such as large outdoor rallies. (end)
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